Tag Archives: Rail Maritime Transport Union

Workers at Mitie Group PLC are on their second 24 hour strike within a month as they demand ‘The London Living Wage’. The RMT members, mostly train cleaners, were chanting and waving flags outside London’s Paddington Station in a bid to gain attention from employer Mitie Group PLC, who are under contract to First Great Western Railways. The strikers are demanding to be brought back ‘in house’ so that they get the benefits associated with working for the company.

Steve Hedley, Assistant General Secretary of the Rail Maritime Transport Union said ‘Boris Johnson promised everyone a London Living Wage of £8.50 an hour, but some of these workers are on £6.37.’ He continued ‘We’ve been in negotiation for a period of years; we don’t get proper sick pay, we don’t get pensions, we don’t get free travel like everyone else who works for First Great Western because we’re contractors. ’Mitie Group PLC and the RMT met yesterday, the second time in a fortnight but without resolution. Strategic outsourcing company Mitie Group PLC have been contracted to First Great Western for two years and the RMT believe that Mitie Group PLC have agreed Boris’s 2012 promise of a London Living Wage of £8.55 for other cleaners elsewhere in the London’s capital after heavy negotiations.

Erica Lockhart, Head of Corporate Affairs for Mitie Group PLC said ‘We have met with them but I don’t want to comment further.’ Mitie Group PLC then released a statement ‘We have only recently confirmed an extension of our contract with First Great Western, and as are now in a position to have further discussions with the RMT. We hope to reach an agreement with the union but have full contingency plans in place to ensure no disruption to passengers travelling during a strike.’

Inside Housing.co.uk reported that Mitie Group PLC posted preliminary results for the 2011/12 financial year and reported a 5.9 per cent increase in turnover to £2 billion. Its operating profit before other items increased 7.2 per cent to £111.7 million while its pre-tax profit increased 8.9 per cent from £86.8 million to £94.5 million.

As the workers united in their shouts for a better working package, Steve Hedley added ‘if this doesn’t bring them to the table, it will be longer periods of strike’